Advertising display structure



l., 0 Il Il JL I Aug.Y 29, 1967 J. A. wlNGER ETAL ADVERTISING DISPLAY STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 29, 1954 United States Patent O 3,337,976 ADVERTISING DISPLAY STRUCTURE Joseph A. Winger, Greenwich, and Myron R. Cothern, Falls Village, Conn., assignors to Texaco Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 421,827 Claims. (Cl. 40-10) This invention concerns an improvement relating to advertising display structure in general. More specifically, the invention concerns structure adapted to the indicating dial face of gasoline pumps of the type having a pump face wherein -there is sulcient area not taken up by the indicator dials so that advertising display matter may be set forth thereon. The invention concerns an improvement for making such advertising display in a manner such that there will -be flexibility and ease in the changing of -the display, or advertisement, while at the same time maintaining durability and protection for such displav- Heretofore advertising displays of a lrelatively permanent or durable type adapted for outdoor use, have ernployed various arrangements for mounting the advertising material including any copy involved. However, these arrangements were diilicult and/or time consuming to change. This has been true of displays of various sorts including those adapted for use with outdoor articles, e.g., gasoline pumps and the like.

Consequently, it is an object of this invention to provide advertising display structure and particularly a com- Ibination adapted for use with the structure of a gasoline pump. Such pump 'being one the housing of which provides sufficient area on the indicating dial face thereof for displaying advertising matter or the like, including therewith the structure for having a replaceable card display which is 'readily changeable while it is fully protected from weather as well as from any tampering therewith by unauthorized personnel.

Briey, the invention concernsan advertising display structure which comprises in combination a plane surface upon which a display is to be exhibited. In addition the structure comprises a slot located near one edge of the surface plus a transparent protective layer over said surface, and means for maintaining said protective layer in place.

Again briefly, the invention relates to an improvement which is in combination with an advertising display structure which comprises a plane surface for accommodating an advertising display. The struc-ture also comprises a transparent protective layer adapted for covering said -plane surface, and frame means for holding said protective layer securely in place. The improvement comprises a slot located adjacent to one edge of the said plane surface in order to permit insertion of a sheet of advertising matter therethrough.

Once more briefly, theinvention comprises in combination a housing including a plane surface area, and windows in said area for viewing indicating dials therethrough. The said windows lbeing located on one vertically divided half of the said area. 'I'he combination also comprises a pane of glass situated over said plane surface area and a frame surrounding said glass and overlapping the edges thereof to hold the glass securely in place on said housing. In addition, the combination comprises lock means for securing said frame onto said housing to prevent unauthorized removal of said frame, and a horizontal slot through said plane surface area. The said slot is located near the top edge of said area on the other half thereof from said windows. The combination additionally comprises a rectangular card having advertising matter on at least one side thereof and having dimensions to suit said half of said area containing said slot. The said card 3,337,976 Patented Aug'. 29, 1967 ICC has horizontal oppositely extending tabs at the top edge thereof for contacting the edges of said slot. 'Ihe combination also comprises a score across said ca-rd adjacent to the lower edges of said tabs.

The foregoing and other objects and benefits of the invention will be more fully set forth below in connection with the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out the invention, and in connection with which there are illustrations provided in the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is an elevation showing the front View of a gasoline pump housing embodying the invention there- 1n;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation of the same pump housing illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged front view of the frame and panel portion per se of a -typical display structure, e.g., that embodied by the gasoline pump housing illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section detail taken along the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective, showing a 'display card and illustrating the structure thereof.

Referring to the drawing figures in general, it will `be appreciated that while the invention is illustrated as tbeing applied to the housing for a gasoline dispensing pump structure, the principles involved are equally applicable to comparable advertising display structures. For example, any display structure having a framework and trans- .parent protective :glass or the like, covering the area that is to have the display located thereon might have the invention applied thereto.

Thus, in the case of a gasoline pump housing structure such as illustrated in the drawings, there is a gasoline pump housing 11 which includes at the top portion thereof a plane surface area 12 that has windows or indicator dial openings 13 on one vertically divided half of such area 12 and a substantial space or open area 14 on the other half of the area 12. The area 14 on the plane surface 12 is of sufficient size to accommodate desirable advertising display material, which in accordance with the invention will take the form of a card or sheet 17 that lies flat against the surface of the area 14.

The entire plane surface area 12 is covered by a transparent protective sheet, eg., a pane of glass 18. This sheet of transparent glass 18 lies over and is in close proximity to the card 17 while it covers the entire plane surface area 12 and extends well under a border frame 19. Frame 19 surrounds the pane of glass 18 and has conventional interlocking structure (not shown) for holding the frame in place on the housing structure 11 of the gasoline pump. In such manner the frame 19 is removable but is held in place with a locking structure (details not shown) that includes a transverse strip or band 20 that, in turn, is held in place by a lock and key arrangement which includes a key hole 21. The key hole is located on the base of the pump housing 11 just beneath the end overlapping band 20.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of a horizontal slot 25 which is located near the top of the open area 14 on the other half of the area 12 from the dial windows 13. The advertising card 17 has a T shaped upper edge 26, i.e., there are a pair of horizontal oppositely extending tabs 27 and 28 so that the card 17 may be inserted through the slot 25 from the back of the plane surface area 12, and the upper edge 26 will arrest the card when it is in place. This keeps the card 17 from slipping downward below the intended position against the face 12 and keeps it centrally located on the area 14 thereof.

Preferably, the card 17 will have a score 29 along the upper edge thereof just beneath edge 26, as indicated by the dashed line 29 illustrated in FIGURE 5. This will permit easy bending of the card along such scored line so that the card will lie substantially flat against the face or plane surface area 12 without Iany buckling of the card. This is clearly illustrated in the FIGURE 4 detail showing.

It will be appreciated that a gasoline pump housing structure such as that illustrated, will have front and back faces that are substantially the same. Consequently, each face may include structure in accordance with this invention, so that -advertising display cards may be applied to both front and back faces alike. This is clearly indicated in FIGURE 2.

It is to be noted, that if desired, the card 17 may be made up with advertising matter including copy on both sides thereof. In such event it is preferable to have the scoring, e.g., score line 29 applied on two sides so that the card may be readily reversed while maintaining the advantageous flat position after it has been inserted in place through the slot 25.

It is pointed out that with advertising display structure according to this invention, the mounting of advertising material which has been made up on a simple card (having T shaped extended Width structures such as explained above) may be quickly and easily applied into its display location by sliding the card through the slot. This means that no adhesive material or gluing arrangement is necessary, so that a change may be quickly, cleanly and easily carried out at any time. Furthermore, the structure is such that there is a protective glass covering over the advertising display card, and this is locked in place under a supporting frame for avoiding any tampering with or defacing ofthe advertising display copy.

It will be appreciated that while the invention has been illustrated as being applied to a gasoline pump housing structure, it is equally applicable to other types of advertising display structures where the use of a framework over a display area is to be employed so that a protective glass pane or similar transparent protective cover may be applied and held securely in place. Among the benefits to be gained by employing this invention is the simplicity of changing display cards, which also lends itself to the improvements involved in having the cards remain neat and fresh while the changeability is extremely quick rand easy.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been described above in consider-able detail in accordance with the applicable statutes, this is not to be taken as in any way limiting the invention but merely as being descriptive thereof.

We claim:

1. An advertising display structure, comprising in combination a plane surface upon which a display is to be exhibited, a slot through said surface and loc-ated near one edge thereof, a transparent protective layer over said plane surface, means for maintaining said protective layer in place, a sheet -for containing advertising matter on at least one side thereof and adapted to be inserted Iand removed through said slot to lie underneath said protective layer when inserted, and said advertising sheet comprising a pair of oppositely extending tabs located near one edge thereof for contacting the ends of said slot as said sheet is inserted into place.

2. An advertising display structure according to claim 1, wherein said advertising sheet includes advertising matter on both sides thereof.

3. In combination with advertising display structure including a plane surface for accommodating an advertising display, a transparent protective layer adapted for covering said plane surface, and frame means for holding said protective layer securely in place, the improvement comprising a slot through said plane surface and located adjacent to one edge thereof for permitting insertion of a sheet of advertising matter therethrough, said slot being located near the top edge of the plane surface, and said sheet of advertising matter being substantially rectangular with tabs extending horizontally near the top edge thereof for contacting the pl-ane surface adjacent to the ends of said slot to hold the advertising sheet in place after insertion through the slot.

4. In combination with, a housing including a plane surface area, windows in said area for viewing indicating dials therethrough and located on one vertically divided half of said area, a pane of glass situated over said plane surface area, a frame surrounding said glass and overlapping the edges thereof to hold the glass securely in place on said housing, lock means for securing said frame onto said housing to prevent unauthorized removal of said frame, the improvement comprising a horizontal slot through said plane surface area, said slot 'being located near the top edge of said area on the other half thereof from said windows, a rectangular card having advertising matter on at least one side thereof and having dimensions to suit said half of said area containing said slot, said card having horizontal oppositely extending tabs at the top edge thereof for contacting the plane surface near the ends of said slot, and a score across said card `adjacent to the lower edges of said tabs to facilitate bending so that the card will lie iiat when in position through said slot.

5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein said advertising card has advertising matter on both sides thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 370,186 9/1887 Fountain 4U--18 522,484 7/1894 Odgers 40-159 849,111 4/ 1907 Fairchild 40-154 3,187,452 6/1965 Dotson 40-1M.5 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 481,567 9/1916 France.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ADVERTISING DISPLAY STRUCTURE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A PLANE SURFACE UPON WHICH A DISPLAY IS TO BE EXHIBITED, A SLOT THROUGH SAID SURFACE AND LOCATED NEAR ONE EDGE THEREOF, A TRANSPARENT PROTECTIVE LAYER OVER SAID PLANE SURFACE, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID PROTECTIVE LAYER IN PLACE, A SHEET FOR CONTAINING ADVERTISING MATTER ON AT LEAST ONE SIDE THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED AND REMOVED THROUGH SAID SLOT TO LIE UNDERNEATH SAID PROTECTIVE LAYER WHEN INSERTED, AND SAID ADVERTISING SHEET COM- 